As the elected head of a democracy in which bigotry will be legal – albeit unattractive –
Tony Abbott
could have some explaining to do when he visits China, Japan and Korea next month.

The Abbott government undoubtedly had its eye on domestic politics when it poked the hornets’ nest of racism and freedom of speech. But what will our nearest neighbours think?

And what of our reputation among republican friends now that we’re about to dub thee “dame" or “sir" on the say-so of a foreign queen?

Abbott’s day started with morning tea with outgoing Governor-General
Quentin Bryce
. What could have been an uncomfortable meeting with the mother-in-law of his political opponent was no doubt smoothed over by the news she would henceforth be known as “Dame" Quentin.

The Coalition’s focus groups must have revealed an untapped element of hard-core monarchists hankering for the old days when you called a spade a spade and a lady was a dame.

Open season for racist jokes

Parliament was dominated on Tuesday by discussion of Attorney-General
George Brandis
’s change to the Racial Discrimination Act to allow racially charged behaviour that offends, insults and humiliates to be entirely legal.

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Presumably, Australians will be able to tell racist jokes again with impunity. Thank goodness.

In question time, Abbott attempted to take a statesman-like view about reasons for tinkering with the 20-year-old Racial Discrimination Act.

“It just means that if we are having a legitimate discussion, as we are entitled to in a free and robust democracy such as ours, contributions to that discussion will not be proscribed by law," he told Parliament.

“That’s the balance that this government is attempting in good faith to get right."

Decency the antidote

In the Coalition’s view, the balance was obviously “off" when News Corp Australia columnist Andrew Bolt was fined for implying light-skinned people claimed to be Aboriginal for personal benefit.

According to Abbott, “ the best antidote to bigotry is decency", not legal restrictions on free speech.

“We want this country, all of us, to be our best selves and Australians at their best are a decent and welcoming people, but we are also a people who can engage in very robust free speech without fear of prosecution."

Abbott must be prepared for some robust debate when he meets political leaders when he leaves Australia next week and visits Japan, South Korea and China for an eight-day trade trip.

But all is not well among Abbott’s backbench members who lobbied in the Coalition party room for better access for Australia’s dairy and beef farmers to Asian markets in trade agreements with our trading partners.

Cloud of May’s budget

Then there are the problems with resettling genuine refugees from Manus Island after Papua New Guinea’s
Peter O’Neill
told Abbott last week his small nation could take some, but not all, refugees.

O’Neill has put pressure on Australia to negotiate with other Pacific nations to take the overflow of the boat refugees that Australia has rejected.

With all the political focus on racism, free speech and knighthoods, what of that other political diversion: the May budget?